For years now, I have been a huge fan of Eric Clapton. Being ‘a professional musician wanna-be’ for most of my life, I have always loved the bands that Clapton played in. And, his solo career; don’t even get me started… I can tell you many things about Eric Clapton—some even that the average fan wouldn’t know, such as: He was born March 30, 1945—an English guitarist and singer/songwriter… He started out in the 60s playing with the Yardbirds, the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith (w/Steve Winwood) and...
Are you a follower of Jesus? That’s the question that will be dealt with in the next several weeks, as we share in this ‘Fan or Follower’ worship series together. But, have you ever thought seriously about that question? Yeah, I know, you’ve been asked that question before; it’s so familiar that you usually just dismiss it. Not because it makes you uncomfortable—not because it’s scary in any way. My guess is you usually dismiss it … because it’s redundant—unnecessary at this point in your life! Am I right …...
There is no greater witness for the Kingdom of God … than a life well-lived… But know this, as we begin today … the life that is well-lived, the life that is an incredible asset to the Kingdom of God, making an eternal difference … is not usually extraordinary! It is an ordinary life … committed to walk with God, to trust God, and to live in God’s ways… Way back on June 17, 1931, there was an ordinary boy born to a working-class family in Greensboro, North Carolina. His...
Folks, as we move to the very last chapter of Hebrews, we continue to be blessed by a God who loves us! Let me remind you of what we’ve learned together this summer. What has God done for us in the past? What is God doing for us today? And what will God be doing for us in the future? Our God is a God who has given us… HIS WORD … and JESUS as the perfect Messenger… REST … as only God can give… Jesus as a HIGH PRIEST...
Today we are going to spend some time on the 1st few verses of Hebrews, Chapter 12. We will view these passages through the overall focus of “Perseverance”. We will look at some of the characteristics of a life of faith which Jesus has demonstrated for us, and how the Holy Spirit will give us the strength to live this life. Hebrews 12:1-3 has been one of the pivotal passages of scripture in my walk with Jesus, and I thought I understood it pretty well. But from the commentary Pastor...
Do you remember having birthday parties when you were younger? Do you remember how it felt—the time leading up to those celebrations? You were both excited and anxious. You knew that you would receive gifts or other special treats, for sure; but, there would also be some surprises. Birthdays combine both … assurance & anticipation! And, so does our faith… When we live a life of faith, we’re assured of the reality of God’s presence; our experience has taught us that God’ll be there for us… as we put our...
In order to understand scripture, it’s really important sometimes to have some background. What was going on at the time that this particular piece of scripture (a letter) was written? What was it that the original audience might have understood in their context … better than you and I understand it in our context? Again, the original recipients of this letter to the Hebrews were probably 2nd generation Christians, but not so far removed from Judaism that they would not remember some of the references here… Here’s your ‘background’ today...
My wife, Jane, and I met at a church camp, here in Wisconsin, in the summer of ’77. For Rom, it was a very good year… It wasn’t long after I met Jane that I took a picture of her and, because she was going back to school in Indiana after the summer was over, that picture came to mean a great deal to me. It kind of became an item of pre-nuptial ‘worship.’ (I’m not saying that was right; I’m just saying that’s how it was…) It was one...
HOPE … is an ingredient we need, as followers of Christ, in order to ‘hang in there’ in this life. The truth is, we live in a world that would just as soon persecute us or put us down, as thank us for the Christ-like lives we lead and the Christ-like love we share. Hope comes from a confidence in our faith in Christ … and is sustained by a God-given diligence to persevere in this world—never allowing our faith to waver… Today, as we continue on in Hebrews, Chapter...
Have you ever felt like you never wanted to grow up? If you have, you probably aren’t alone… When I was a much younger man, one of the ‘cool’ sayings was “I’ll Never Grow Up!” I actually had a button collection (pin-on buttons) and this was one of my favorites… But, that ceased after I realized that there was a difference between ‘child-like’ and ‘childish’ … and unfortunately, some didn’t know the difference. I believe that God wants us to remain ‘child-like,’ in a sense, all of our lives …...
